The coast was finally cleared. They all calmed down and until then, Mark didn't stop kissing me to distract me from their presence. They went out and only then Mark let go of me. His lips were red and plump because of kissing but my heart is still broken and hurt. His kisses didn't mend it.
"Home." I cry. "Home. Please? I c-can't take this—"
"Goddamn." Mark curses madly, then pulls my waist to guide me on our way home.
Home with him. With Mark.
"L-Love." Mark tugs me. "I'm sorry. I'm s-so sorry, love—"
"Hey!"
Oh my god, when will these surprises ever end? It was Karina, and then my family, and now Jaemin. Oh my god...
"Donghyuck, right? You're the talk of the town!" He says almost as if we're close.
"My husband and I has to go." Mark grits.
"You're Jeno's boyfriend right?" Jaemin stops Mark. If this goes on for another minute, I'll eventually collapse. I can't take this night anymore. "No, actually. You already have a husband, Jeno's your manstress!"
"He's my husband." Mark raises a brow while tightly holding unto me. I don't want him to let go, as well. "Mr. Na, I won't tolerate this but we have to go—"
"Saw them at a festival, kissing. Still not believing it?"
Oh my god... My palms flew to my mouth as I let out a gasp. My broken heart broke again, this time, in tinier pieces. I could literally hear them.
Mark's hands got loose around me as I sob. "Please... N-Not now, Jaemin. Not now—"
"Was I not supposed to tell your husband that you're cheating on him?" Jaemin fussed. "With the father of my child?"
"W-What?" I gasp, eyebrows furrowing.
"What you heard is right... This," He pointed at his stomach. "Is Jeno's."
"Let's go." Mark says in a stern voice, making me afraid and worried about what will welcome me at home.
In a minute, I was locked inside his car. He didn't even give me time to lock my belt, he immediately drove his way home while I was sobbing into my hands.
I don't care if we get into an accident now. I don't care anymore if I die. I don't fucking care. All I know is that I can't take this pain nor Mark's wrath. I don't want anything about this night anymore.
We reached home but I didn't get out of Mark's car. I waited until he says a word.
"Seo Donghyuck... Get out."
Where's the Lee Donghyuck?
"M-Mark." My voice shakes. "Mark... P-Please?"
Mark took a long breath before looking at me with soft eyes. "To be honest, I don't know what to feel anymore."
So do I. I don't know too, Mark. I just don't fucking know.
"Come here..." He soothes me, pulling me in a hug and letting me drop on his lap. "You can cry to me. Please cry to me."
I already am. I have been crying. Even too much. I'm just currently looking into the bright side of this pain, having Mark close to me and him comforting me.
"I..." I sob. "Am not my mother's son."
"I'm sorry, Donghyuck..." I felt Mark's sincerity.
Reminiscing their conversation, I don't know what to actually really think about and investigate about. If it's about me, not being a real son, or the mom that I know now being a mistress, my real mom, or the company.
My fingers unknowingly clenched on Mark's shoulders the same way my heart clenched inside my chest. I am so damned.
At the same time, I am worried about what Mark heard from Jaemin. The secret that I've kept hidden from Mark was finally revealed at the most inconvenient time ever.
This night is horrible.
"Let's get you ready for bed." Mark sighs while opening his car door and carrying me.
I didn't complain because truth be said I don't want to be out of him yet. I need him now. I need him more than ever.
Mark is my comfort and I just hope he wouldn't mind what Jaemin said for too much. I don't want him to be bothered by that.
"Damn." Mark hisses as he puts me to bed and as he extends his arms after. "I want to get mad at everything but... I know you need me now."
"I'm sorry." I sob, my heart breaking as I apologize for that stupid act of mine. "I-I'm sorry, Mark. I-I didn't mean to kiss him—"
"So, it was true?" Obviously, Mark kept his anger in. He asked me ever so softly, so afraid of lashing out at me. "Damn it, love."
"J-Jeno... It w-was him..." My lips quivered badly as I hiccup over and over. I don't know how to form words anymore. "B-Because Jaemin was there—"
"Stop." Mark halts me. I pressed my lips into a thin line, attempting to stop it from shaking and as I bit the skin off my nails. "Not now, Donghyuck... L-Let's talk about this next time."
"I don't want you mad at me." I weep into my hands. I can't even breathe properly anymore. All of this pain had piled up and the only thing I can do is cry.
"Look at me." He says. "Love, look at me."
"I-I don't want—"
"Lee Donghyuck..." Mark sniffled. Right now, he is crying. "Love."
I tried my best to get rid of the blurry vision to look at him and when I finally did, Mark grabbed my hand and kissed the palms of it as he kneels in front of me.
"I will get rid of this feeling first," He breathes out. "Because you are more hurt than I am. I will take care of you first."
From my palms, to my shoulders up until my cheeks, Mark kissed me. "I will love you even in this damned marriage."
Mark cups my cheeks and lifts my head. He kissed my forehead after. "I love you so much, Donghyuck."
Despite having his own emotions, the pain from knowing that I kissed someone else, he prioritised me still. If this isn't his genuine love for me, I don't know what is.
💍
"Wake up..." Mark whispers in my ears, little did he know I haven't even slept yet. "Love?"
"Yeah..." I say with a groggy voice. I coil myself and grab the pillow over my head. I hug it tight and shut my eyes.
"Let's go eat breakfast first?" He asks, dropping on his knees to meet my face. Then, he sighs. "You don't look so good right now and I can't leave you alone."
"I'm fine." I lied. Heaven knows how much I'm hurt and mentally unwell right now.
"I know you." Mark grits. "I really really do. So, don't you even dare lie to me."
Pressing my lips into a thin line, I sob into my pillow. Simultaneously, Mark hugged my face and kissed it a couple of times.
"I don't want to leave when you're like this." He says in my ears, worries obvious in his voice. "This won't do... Let's go..."
"W-Where?" I sniffle on his neck.
"I'll just bring you with me to work." My husband replied to my cries and lifted me off the bed. "Would that be alright?"
Not knowing what to even do and think about, I nod. I wrap both my arms to hug him and cling unto him.
"Mark?" My voice was small and hesitant. "I am not her son, right?"
"I will talk to them and try to dig for the truth..." Mark replies while kissing my tears away. "Donghyuck, listen to me... Even if it's true, this doesn't mean you are loved by no one."
The assurance from his words had me fazed. I avert my gaze on the floor and try to think about things. Frankly, I never felt my family's love for me aside from my own father.
Not once did my mother attend on any special occasion. Not once did Sean and Joshua congratulate me. Not once did I feel them care for me.
But maybe, Mark's true. That doesn't mean I am loved by no one anymore. Mark loves me, and he is everything that I need for now.
"I love you." Mark added up and when he said that, my insides twisted with my cheeks heating up. I love him telling me that he loves me. "So much."
Mark had kissed my forehead, down to the bridge of my nose, to my cheeks and finally, down on my lips.
I make no action to make him stop, instead, I kiss him back. I pull him down and passionately kiss him to thank him for everything that he did to me. To tell him that I like him despite everything that happened. And that in one snap, I might fall in love with him again.
"Let's go?" Mark whispers on my lips and I nod.
"Okay."
I didn't even bother changing into a fancy pair of clothes. All I did was change my shirt into Mark's, wore my skinny shorts and wore different accessories all over me. I didn't take a shower anymore. I just washed my face and brushed my teeth, then I'm done.
Mark drove us to his company with me looking out the window, trying to find answers to my questions: Where is my mom? Why did the mom that I know now told her sons that she's the mistress? Who am I really? And why did they mention Johnny?
"Love..." I felt a hand trail on my back, stopping on my waist and grasping it. Mark takes a long breath. "You're overthinking it."
"I can't help it." I answer honestly, pursing my lips into a thin line. "I don't know what to feel and do anymore."
"I promise, we will know the truth. I will not stop until you finally get the answers that you are longing for."
"Aren't you even mad at me?" I coil, suddenly feeling all the shame in the world.
He already knew I kissed Jeno, or we kissed. But here he is, still doing his best to be a husband for me. Doing his best to comfort me. Doing everything for me. I feel pain, worry and shame.
"I will take care of you—"
"I did not kiss him." I cut him off. Then I felt the burden lifted off my chest. "We went out for burgers and the festival. He saw Jaemin there and thought he could kiss me to make Jaemin feel jealous. He did and—"
"I believe you."
"W-What?" My heartbeat stopped for a moment.
"I will always believe you. I don't believe Jaemin, Donghyuck." With sincere and deep expressive eyes, he looks at me. "I will listen to you. I will believe you, no matter what."
My heart could only beat fast. Somehow, the broken pieces had found its way back into me. Fuck, can Mark stop making me feel giddy every single time?
"We have to go. I'll be late." Mark cleared his throat and opened his car. The next thing he did was open doors for me and guide me inside.
My waist was locked in his big hands and I felt real butterflies inside. I grab on his arm to help support myself and take in a long breath.
"Mr. Lee— Oh, you're with someone?" A figure appeared, then he looked at me from head to toe. "Who are you?"
"Yuta-san, this is my husband, Lee Donghyuck. Love, this is the managing director—Nakamoto Yuta."
Oh, Japanese?
"Hello." My cheeks flush in shyness. "I'm Donghyuck."
"I heard." He smiled. "And why did you invite yourself here?"
A frown took place in my face. "I'm Mark's husband."
"Yuta, stop it." Mark hisses.
"I just thought you'd at least have some shame, you thick faced. You cheated on Mark—"
"Yuta!" Mark shouts madly. "Stop it! My husband didn't cheat on me."
I didn't. I really didn't. Oh, damn, when will this ever end?
Yuta scoffed at me. Then he walked out as if he didn't say anything in my face. When he disappeared, Mark pulled me inside his office and let me plop onto the couch.
"I have to take care of this damn rumour, first." Mark clenched on his table. "Fuck!"
The door was opened, then there was Jeno.